the singing is perfect, diction, phrasing, pause and those lips are just unimaginable - but the soul of the woman in distress is not there. you will find that with glenn close. that is the whole of it.
OMG, Glenn close hams it up in a Mommy Dearest sort of camp that is fun to watch. But listen to Patti's mastery of this song. Nobody else sings all those notes like that. The only person who comes close is Betty Buckley in terms of the musicality. This is a masterclass of musical theatre singing.
LuPone ALWAYS comes across as excessive on video and film. I recall "Life Goes On," for example, as a constant struggle between LuPone's theatrical instincts and the much-more-compact demands of TV. This is NOT to denigrate LuPone, one of our greatest musical-theater stars. But she is truly a woman of the THEATER, with a HUGE performing persona that does not translate readily to the camera ---
@edirne1972 I'm sorry, I should have said, she LOOKS too damn young to play Norma. She ages very well. Glenn close looks much older than she is, and with the makeup and costume, it just completes it.
Wow...no one hits notes like Patti does. Even though all the other Norma's got a key change right before "with one look I'll ignite a blaze" to make it easier to sing, Patti stayed in the original higher key and STILL sang those notes better than any of the others.
In my opinion, this is the best of all the ALW shows. It's the most solid script and score, when put together. I don't know why it's not produced more.
@lcowles But if you listen to both cast albums, Close tells a story with her voice (which is maybe not as strong) however LuPone just belts everything, not really conveying the emotion through her voice.
Betty Buckley where are you? Even Glenn Close sounded better than this. I always thought these lyrics were trite. I suspect Ms LuPone agrees. She makes sure nobody understands them.
@Garmct Your comment shows you understand nothing about singing...let alone comparing other singers to a poor recording with bad sound and picture quality!
i was at the workshop...and at several london performances....her voice was FABULOUS, but her diction was terrible.....i knew the lyrics well, but could barely understand the words....alw was right to fire her-----what's the point in having a show
when the audience cant get what is being said/sung? too bad there were no sub-titletitles.....her voice was spectacular, but she held notes so long that the words became unintelligible.........too bad.
@sashamore1 By all accounts, including in this video, she always got rapturous applause. The poor diction charge is ridiculous. Yes, her pronunciation sometimes is hard to understand, but I'm sure you were the only person in the audience who couldn't understand anything.
@lcowles Absolutely! I have the soundtrack from the London production and Patti's vocal virtuosity is extraordinary. Just like Evita, the keys and range were changed for the women who followed her in the role - because they could not sing the role like Patti.
Absolutely brilliant. The best musical theatre song of all time. The last few bars of the song are thrilling.The last note! no one else can sing such a high note in their chest register. mr lloyd webber and his performers know how to generate such emotion.i saw patti in sunset bd in london in 93 and elaine paige in 95. both magnificent but i'd say elaine just has the edge.her performance was more dangerous and edgy and the sheer volume of her singing voice adds to the role..
Coming out of the interlude gives me the biggest chills! Patti LuPone and the orchestra come together so beautifully with this number ESPECIALLY between 2:37 and 2:50. Goosebumps!
@EZYCHEESY, I did get to see Petula Clark in this production twice. I will say that Petula's portrayal showed us a Norma Desmond who was really nuts and out of touch with reality. Truly convinces us that she really believed she could portray a 16 year old (Salome) in a silent film (when sound films were already the norm), etc. Very different, yet still very entertaining. You bleed from your heart as you watch her Norma doomed for disaster.
@emlodik Not only does her voice do the part more justice, but her acting does as well. She doesn't have to hit the audience over the head with the fact that Norma was disillusioned and somewhat sick. She conveys the perfect representation of Norma with enough subtlety that it isn't too much or too little. While the others did a fine job at the part, I personally believe the role belongs to Patti. I get a little sick of Close's repetitive eyeball enlargement trying to make her look crazy.
I would agree that when Glenn Close played the role, you could see insanity in her eyes...but I don't think that's a good thing. Norma isn't supposed to be insane - not until the last scene, anyway. She's deluding herself, and she's agoraphobic, but she's not a raving lunatic who goes around cackling like the Wicked Witch of the West. People criticized Patti for not making her Norma crazy enough, but I thought it was appropriate - and it made her actual madness at the end a lot more tragic.
I just finished reading the advanced copy for Patti LuPone's autobiography and the whole SUNSET BOULEVARD fiasco was pure evil on Andrew Lloyd Webber's part. It's disgusting what he did to Patti.
The book itself is a killer - wait until you read it
So I'm getting on this wholy Lloyd Webber v Lapone thing. Lloyd Webber seems to be a complete dick to any woman who has the balls to stand up to him but is nice to wimpy little pretty girls like Sarah Brightman and Sierra boggess? Never met the guy and most likely never will, just curios because he is my favorite composer.
@roccoh21 But this is a whole different production and atmosphere. By the time Patti did the show, she was clashing with Webber, undergoing constant book revisions, so her performance must've suffered due to higher anxiety.
She is wonderful. That she was not given the job on Broadway was a sin... for which ALW seemed to pay big bucks when sued. Thanks for explaining the different lyric.
Debbie Byrne nailed this role - and would have to be one of the best if not the best Norma to have graced the stage - it is such a pity that the role paralelled several tragic events in her life which sent her into a meltdown :(
Diahann Carroll was the purest Norma of them all - her performance rang truer than the others - perhaps as she herself has said - she knows the pain of a woman over fourty in hollywood - so she pulled on her own life and excelled in the role
awsome!!! and this is a poor recording and Patti is the epitmoe of what a stage actress/singer be, someone able to make you believe in the character and no longer see the actress, I don't see Patti Lupone here, I see Norma Desmond. Brava!!!
the brilliance behind this performance is that patti is an artist in the truest sense of the word. this was filmed when the play was being work-shopped, where actors had scripts in hand and a small audience was allowed to watch. she is so dedicated that she put 110% into this song when about 80% might have been accepted.
"Words, words, we didn't need words, we had faces" In the Film, when Norma went back to Paramount, it was Norma that drew attention. Max, who had been a great director was forgooten. Joe who had written wouldn't have even gotten on the lot. But Norma had a face, one Joe himself had said looked better than he would have thought. It was Norma's face that drew the spoylight that she did not shirk from, merely shaded her eyes for the glare. It was Norma's face that drew the extras. She had a face.
lupone is a wonderful singer, and a terrific film actress with great passion for certain things. but she can also eat up the stage. if musical theatre depended on pitch perfect performance, there would be very few memorable performances. glenn close, with a thin voice comes over better as the wacky norma desmond, just as bernadette peters cuts up the old ethel merman-blow-em-out-of- the-theatre type to give a freshness to the character that tyne daly, and even, lupone miss.
But Norma as written by Mr Wilder is not wacky. She was secluded in her home as evidenced that she went out to play cards, knew the store to buy his clothes.Knew where her money was. Yes she had Max, but Max had help, lots of it. And was Norma living in the past, or was Max. At the studio she still drew a crowd of admirers. Max was forgotten. The real story there was how she punished Max for hurts real and imagined. Were doors left unlocked to protect her or to punish Max. One didn't F with Norm
you have made a good point on that one, and i stand corrected. the written norma by wilder, does seem more pragmatic than the patina graced by swanson or close. kind of a bete noir thing common among performances by stanwyck out of this era.
I am surprised that no one has commented on this yet. I think Patti LuPone is one of the greatest musical actresses of our time. And yes, I do prefer her singing Norma's songs over Glenn Close's anyday. However, did anyone else notice she never quite hits the right note (which is a C-Sharp) in the "With ONE look" phrase. She always sings "One" flat. I enjoyed seeing this though!
It's SIMPLY not difficult to take anyone seriously, with a name like fel... Patti LuPone has a wonderful talent and stage presence. That ALW would replace her with Cruella de Ville is incredible. Norma Desmond is a fictional character, by the way. ALW was a bloomin' idiot to have cast her aside.
I'd expect an idiot would write something like this in youtube's comment section of a hip hop video, but never in a musical where - let's face it - gays are quite the majority in the fanbase.
But then again, your IQ might be just too low to understand that.
I love Patti, but even through the bad quality of the vid I can tell that her voice sort of sounds whiny and abrasive here. Not a fan of her as Norma.
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Patti Lupones was the one major performance in this role that I did not see. From this video I can see why ALW thought she was not good in he role. The acting is too general, it just doesn't get across. Glen Close didn't sing that well, Betty Buckley was a great combination of acting and singing. Patti sang the role gloriously but the acting was wrong.
This was a workshop though. Most actors had scripts onstage during parts of the show, so a fully realised performance from anyone at this stage wouldn't be expected
it was the workshop performance, sometimes called a backers audition. where the producers show the production as it currently is to try and raise interest and money from prospective investors. work in progress....
@marcosvalenca In her book, she talks about this performance. This was the first public performance of the material and she was extremely nervous. There were a lot of important people in attendance.
this is incredible! shes fantastic. i cant believe they fired her for Glenn, Patti has such a better voice there is no comparison. ya think Webber was having an affair with Glenn so he casted her? he only casted Sarah cause they were together too...
There are child soldiers suffering in Africa. AIDS is spreading. World starvation. Somalian pirates terrorise sea vessels, Orphans are dying in the street every day. The war in the Middle East is claiming thousands of lives daily... Yet the ABSOLUTE WORST thing to happen in the entire world is that a couple gays didn't get to see Patti LuPone as Norma Desmond on Broadway. *EYES*
wtf, i thought we settled this three months ago. so what if i like her, you gonna call me gay over it. yes, and casted is not a word, i am sorry Aunt Josaphine
With one note, Patti Lupone breaks my ears. In one fell swoop, she gobbles up all my will to live. I keep trying to find a video where she's as good as many people seem to think, but I can't help finding her overrated. This post is a bit obnoxious, in retrospect, but I'd honestly love to be linked to a performance of hers I will like...come on, guys, rise to the challenge!!!
This comment has received too many negative votesshow
I hate her also. But I love her in Evita. Have u seen her tony performance of anything goes or evita? she really is terrible, but she has stage presence. and she's perfect for gypsy as a loud, dried up wanna be diva.
I'm a huge fan on LuPone's, I think she's absolutely brilliant in Gypsy, but I really do prefer Glenn in this role. She, Glenn, brings a much needed intensity to the role that is in keeping with Gloria Swanson's portrayal of Norma Desmond from the film. Anyway, I love this song, so haunting. Definitely one of ALW's finest numbers, and one of his finest show's, even if it was a commercial flop.
*GASP* AriesModerator, are you CHEATING on me? Besides, you're confusing Nick Tahoe with me. He always considered himself too good to take fan requests. I think I'm the only one who does it... Which makes me quite upset.
How much harder could she have sued him? She got more money out of him than any other actress who played Norma. We should all seriously move on. Besides, there are far more juicier "Sunset Boulevard" stories than the Patti incident!
Two reasons. He was under a lot of pressure from Paramount to have a major star open the show on Broadway and let's face, "the retarded kid's mom from Life Goes On" wouldn't cut it. Another reason is that they decided to go in a different direction with the tone of the show (more sinister orchestrations, hence the key change) so an actress like Patti no longer fit the bill.
That makes sense. However, the same could be said about the later casting of Elaine Paige or Betty Buckley (GAG!) It did nonetheless backfire because the show quickly became more about who was playing Norma Desmond than about the show itself. And that's what brought about is early demise. Really a shame because I think it's one of Sir Andrew's best scores.
dear lord, that was perfect
princepeterwolf 2 weeks ago
Absolutely fantastic. The point of her performance is that Norma's fragility is SHIELDED here. Brilliant.
jjarndyce 1 month ago
Flawless.
tinyhermione 2 months ago
@tinyhermione
Patti is the only original-- Glenn Close cannot even sing!
hbotis 1 month ago
@hbotis Without at doubt! Patti was Norma. Glenn can act incredibly well (obviously), but no one will ever, ever compare with Patti.
tinyhermione 1 month ago
Nails on a chalkboard.
MondoMiami 2 months ago
the singing is perfect, diction, phrasing, pause and those lips are just unimaginable - but the soul of the woman in distress is not there. you will find that with glenn close. that is the whole of it.
goerizal1 2 months ago
OMG, Glenn close hams it up in a Mommy Dearest sort of camp that is fun to watch. But listen to Patti's mastery of this song. Nobody else sings all those notes like that. The only person who comes close is Betty Buckley in terms of the musicality. This is a masterclass of musical theatre singing.
elgozador 2 months ago 4
Wonderful. But I like Glenn Close's version slightly better
ensemble10 3 months ago
She is such an emotional singer
wickedfeylady 3 months ago 2
Am currently reading Patti's biography. She spends two chapters on Sunset
Blvd., ALW, and her successful lawsuit for breach of contract.
The actual mansion used in the movie of Sunset Blvd. was on Wilshire
Blvd. The Getty Oil company bought it, demolished it and put up an
office building. Just checked the net. I used to work there. Never knew
of the connection till now.
Tnx 4 posting.
rockgor 3 months ago
She's the ultimate diva <3 What an absolutely fitting role for her!
MissKaleighI 4 months ago
Magnificent performance of schlock.
jakester8181 5 months ago
7 dislikes ha if you are deaf you should not watch Patti LuPone.
168waco 5 months ago
she was robbed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Glenn Close was good but Lupone is queen and Webber is an ass hole for doing this to her!
MsWho132 6 months ago 3
LuPone ALWAYS comes across as excessive on video and film. I recall "Life Goes On," for example, as a constant struggle between LuPone's theatrical instincts and the much-more-compact demands of TV. This is NOT to denigrate LuPone, one of our greatest musical-theater stars. But she is truly a woman of the THEATER, with a HUGE performing persona that does not translate readily to the camera ---
stevevandien 6 months ago
Patti LuPone is one of the most incredible Broadway Stars EVER.
CaliCaliente00 7 months ago
beautiful rendition of the song. But she was just too damn young to play Norma. Glenn Close had the full package
AMTProductionCo 7 months ago
@AMTProductionCo They're the same age
edirne1972 7 months ago
@edirne1972 I'm sorry, I should have said, she LOOKS too damn young to play Norma. She ages very well. Glenn close looks much older than she is, and with the makeup and costume, it just completes it.
AMTProductionCo 7 months ago
This is the best performance of this song. Patti originated the role here and in London. ALW lowered the keys to Glenn and it is no longer the same.
lostinthestars100 7 months ago
Prefer Glenn!
FaceTune 8 months ago
wow .... she knocked that out of the park ! Almost as good as Betty Buckley
MasterMark123 8 months ago
Wow...no one hits notes like Patti does. Even though all the other Norma's got a key change right before "with one look I'll ignite a blaze" to make it easier to sing, Patti stayed in the original higher key and STILL sang those notes better than any of the others.
mds1978 8 months ago
I have a few copies of the whole workshop on DVD if anyone wants to buy one...
aavauxhall 8 months ago
In my opinion, this is the best of all the ALW shows. It's the most solid script and score, when put together. I don't know why it's not produced more.
lcowles 9 months ago
@lcowles But if you listen to both cast albums, Close tells a story with her voice (which is maybe not as strong) however LuPone just belts everything, not really conveying the emotion through her voice.
GlasgowMusicStudio 8 months ago
Patti is some much better than glen. Her voice is far superior
balloonescape 10 months ago
As much as I love Patti Lupone, I cannot help but hear Bernadette Peters in this song. I think Bernadette would have been tremendous.
barochial 10 months ago
With one glance, I eclipse the sun. --> I love that line!
Mikeeinton013 10 months ago
edirne 1972:: guess you had to be there....all 4 times..........
sashamore1 10 months ago
Betty Buckley where are you? Even Glenn Close sounded better than this. I always thought these lyrics were trite. I suspect Ms LuPone agrees. She makes sure nobody understands them.
Garmct 10 months ago
@Garmct Your comment shows you understand nothing about singing...let alone comparing other singers to a poor recording with bad sound and picture quality!
edirne1972 10 months ago
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@Garmct Your comment shows you know nothing about singing...let alone comparing singers to a bad recording with poor sound and picture quality!
edirne1972 10 months ago
i was at the workshop...and at several london performances....her voice was FABULOUS, but her diction was terrible.....i knew the lyrics well, but could barely understand the words....alw was right to fire her-----what's the point in having a show
when the audience cant get what is being said/sung? too bad there were no sub-titletitles.....her voice was spectacular, but she held notes so long that the words became unintelligible.........too bad.
sashamore1 11 months ago
@sashamore1 By all accounts, including in this video, she always got rapturous applause. The poor diction charge is ridiculous. Yes, her pronunciation sometimes is hard to understand, but I'm sure you were the only person in the audience who couldn't understand anything.
edirne1972 10 months ago
oh pattie. be my surrogate.
MandeeSparkle 11 months ago
GLENN CLOSE WAS THE BEST!
mlvc82 11 months ago
@mlvc82 glenn close is a bitch and i wouldn't be surprised if she had a little something to do with replacing patti. no one compares to this goddess
lesmizfanatic90 11 months ago
@mlvc82 at what? barking?
edirne1972 10 months ago
She's OK-but not the best!
FRANKHODGES39 11 months ago
Still, the only woman to do this song in it's original key WITHOUT the modulation at the end to lower the key. Patti is THE bomb!
lcowles 11 months ago 10
@lcowles Absolutely! I have the soundtrack from the London production and Patti's vocal virtuosity is extraordinary. Just like Evita, the keys and range were changed for the women who followed her in the role - because they could not sing the role like Patti.
Rodeo6521 3 weeks ago
Ugh Patti was supposed to bring this character to broadway. I wish she hadn't been fired (but it totally wasnt her fault). Love her! :)
peanut251 1 year ago
Absolutely brilliant. The best musical theatre song of all time. The last few bars of the song are thrilling.The last note! no one else can sing such a high note in their chest register. mr lloyd webber and his performers know how to generate such emotion.i saw patti in sunset bd in london in 93 and elaine paige in 95. both magnificent but i'd say elaine just has the edge.her performance was more dangerous and edgy and the sheer volume of her singing voice adds to the role..
stephenhkent 1 year ago
There are Six (6) Glenn Close loser fans here.
vocaltalent1 1 year ago
@vocaltalent1 pfft - lack of imagination on your part. No doubt there's a few disgruntled Gloria Swanson fans in the mix there...
treborsf 1 year ago
Nice, but I most definitely prefer Betty Buckley.
thecatatemyhomework 1 year ago
This wasn't an audition for Margaret Hamilton's role in Wizard of Oz?
norbeckroad 1 year ago
She is really very good.
beavertown2006 1 year ago
Coming out of the interlude gives me the biggest chills! Patti LuPone and the orchestra come together so beautifully with this number ESPECIALLY between 2:37 and 2:50. Goosebumps!
oneworldguy 1 year ago
Such diction, such musicality, such drama...the woman is a theatre treasure.
mnactr 1 year ago 10
@EZYCHEESY, I did get to see Petula Clark in this production twice. I will say that Petula's portrayal showed us a Norma Desmond who was really nuts and out of touch with reality. Truly convinces us that she really believed she could portray a 16 year old (Salome) in a silent film (when sound films were already the norm), etc. Very different, yet still very entertaining. You bleed from your heart as you watch her Norma doomed for disaster.
oneworldguy 1 year ago
@EZYCHEESY Some people apparently do. And I want smack them. Very hard. Until blood and bone shows. :)
emlodik 1 year ago
She Rocks.
Macrogue65 1 year ago
The true Norma Desmond. This is irreplaceable.
mzbeth712 1 year ago
@mzbeth712 Except by 80% of the other women who played this role. A higher key isn't everything. :-P
emlodik 1 year ago
@emlodik Not only does her voice do the part more justice, but her acting does as well. She doesn't have to hit the audience over the head with the fact that Norma was disillusioned and somewhat sick. She conveys the perfect representation of Norma with enough subtlety that it isn't too much or too little. While the others did a fine job at the part, I personally believe the role belongs to Patti. I get a little sick of Close's repetitive eyeball enlargement trying to make her look crazy.
mzbeth712 11 months ago
@dwarflover63
I prefer Elaine Paige myself in any role she has ever done.
nestersg 1 year ago
I would agree that when Glenn Close played the role, you could see insanity in her eyes...but I don't think that's a good thing. Norma isn't supposed to be insane - not until the last scene, anyway. She's deluding herself, and she's agoraphobic, but she's not a raving lunatic who goes around cackling like the Wicked Witch of the West. People criticized Patti for not making her Norma crazy enough, but I thought it was appropriate - and it made her actual madness at the end a lot more tragic.
fidelio1980 1 year ago 2
Patti's version is a lot more heartfelt, she is awesome. But in Glen's version, you can see the dementia in her eyes while she is singing this song.
Houdini774 1 year ago
What a performance!
dyssbroadway 1 year ago
I just finished reading the advanced copy for Patti LuPone's autobiography and the whole SUNSET BOULEVARD fiasco was pure evil on Andrew Lloyd Webber's part. It's disgusting what he did to Patti.
The book itself is a killer - wait until you read it
jeffreychristIsAlive 1 year ago 4
So I'm getting on this wholy Lloyd Webber v Lapone thing. Lloyd Webber seems to be a complete dick to any woman who has the balls to stand up to him but is nice to wimpy little pretty girls like Sarah Brightman and Sierra boggess? Never met the guy and most likely never will, just curios because he is my favorite composer.
nestersg 1 year ago
yikes! pitchy...
radley13 1 year ago
@radley13 No, not at all ,Randy Jackson.
zaq27 1 year ago
@roccoh21 But this is a whole different production and atmosphere. By the time Patti did the show, she was clashing with Webber, undergoing constant book revisions, so her performance must've suffered due to higher anxiety.
emlodik 1 year ago
She is wonderful. That she was not given the job on Broadway was a sin... for which ALW seemed to pay big bucks when sued. Thanks for explaining the different lyric.
COBBCITY 1 year ago
Debbie Byrne nailed this role - and would have to be one of the best if not the best Norma to have graced the stage - it is such a pity that the role paralelled several tragic events in her life which sent her into a meltdown :(
fatheranthony4pope 1 year ago
petula clark's is more heartbreaking and much less stagey
4260laurel 1 year ago
@4260laurel You're an idiot.
emlodik 1 year ago
Comment removed
moranvt 1 year ago
Diahann Carroll was the purest Norma of them all - her performance rang truer than the others - perhaps as she herself has said - she knows the pain of a woman over fourty in hollywood - so she pulled on her own life and excelled in the role
ramona2400 1 year ago
awsome!!! and this is a poor recording and Patti is the epitmoe of what a stage actress/singer be, someone able to make you believe in the character and no longer see the actress, I don't see Patti Lupone here, I see Norma Desmond. Brava!!!
sa65cn1 1 year ago
Patti LuPone is the equivalent of Broadway's Jesus!!!
crbar1 2 years ago 2
This comment has received too many negative votes show
GHASTLY performance. She should never have been cast. Thank God ALW came to his senses and sacked her !
fellatio24 2 years ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
Elaine Paige is much better in this role,her voice is far superior. To me Ms.LuPone has a very harsh voice where Ms Paige soars.
bigfanization 2 years ago
the brilliance behind this performance is that patti is an artist in the truest sense of the word. this was filmed when the play was being work-shopped, where actors had scripts in hand and a small audience was allowed to watch. she is so dedicated that she put 110% into this song when about 80% might have been accepted.
Broadway3 2 years ago 3
Elaine Paige is good, so is Patti but have a listen to Debra Byrne's rendition, much better.
icecuboz1 2 years ago
Strong performance and the subtle change of lyrics helps the song.
plato12000 2 years ago 3
*sigh*
i love this woman
she absolutely kicks ass
tenorlovesasoprano 2 years ago 24
"Words, words, we didn't need words, we had faces" In the Film, when Norma went back to Paramount, it was Norma that drew attention. Max, who had been a great director was forgooten. Joe who had written wouldn't have even gotten on the lot. But Norma had a face, one Joe himself had said looked better than he would have thought. It was Norma's face that drew the spoylight that she did not shirk from, merely shaded her eyes for the glare. It was Norma's face that drew the extras. She had a face.
paulbranc 2 years ago 2
lupone is a wonderful singer, and a terrific film actress with great passion for certain things. but she can also eat up the stage. if musical theatre depended on pitch perfect performance, there would be very few memorable performances. glenn close, with a thin voice comes over better as the wacky norma desmond, just as bernadette peters cuts up the old ethel merman-blow-em-out-of- the-theatre type to give a freshness to the character that tyne daly, and even, lupone miss.
hyperman1010 2 years ago 2
But Norma as written by Mr Wilder is not wacky. She was secluded in her home as evidenced that she went out to play cards, knew the store to buy his clothes.Knew where her money was. Yes she had Max, but Max had help, lots of it. And was Norma living in the past, or was Max. At the studio she still drew a crowd of admirers. Max was forgotten. The real story there was how she punished Max for hurts real and imagined. Were doors left unlocked to protect her or to punish Max. One didn't F with Norm
paulbranc 2 years ago 3
you have made a good point on that one, and i stand corrected. the written norma by wilder, does seem more pragmatic than the patina graced by swanson or close. kind of a bete noir thing common among performances by stanwyck out of this era.
hyperman1010 2 years ago
I am surprised that no one has commented on this yet. I think Patti LuPone is one of the greatest musical actresses of our time. And yes, I do prefer her singing Norma's songs over Glenn Close's anyday. However, did anyone else notice she never quite hits the right note (which is a C-Sharp) in the "With ONE look" phrase. She always sings "One" flat. I enjoyed seeing this though!
jme476 2 years ago
Umm... Have you seen any of fellatio24's comments?
HouseOnSunset 2 years ago
I love Patti! Her voice is amazing!
ericaroo 2 years ago
amen
KaraokeKid22 2 years ago
Wow, as bad as this video is, this is the first time I heard Patti LuPone sing where I can actually understand what she's singing.
acuison1 2 years ago
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Simply ATROCIOUS ! The woman has no understanding of the character at all, can not act and was hideously miscast.
She is also damn ugly - Norma Desmond was a great beauty in her day, and did not have a nose the size of a ski slope in Saint Moritz.
fellatio24 2 years ago
It's SIMPLY not difficult to take anyone seriously, with a name like fel... Patti LuPone has a wonderful talent and stage presence. That ALW would replace her with Cruella de Ville is incredible. Norma Desmond is a fictional character, by the way. ALW was a bloomin' idiot to have cast her aside.
TX1961 2 years ago 3
you're a joke
michsturg 2 years ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
LOL at fellatio24 being gay.
HouseOnSunset 2 years ago
I'd expect an idiot would write something like this in youtube's comment section of a hip hop video, but never in a musical where - let's face it - gays are quite the majority in the fanbase.
But then again, your IQ might be just too low to understand that.
famousfeline 2 years ago
I agreee so much
movieman600 2 years ago
I love Patti, but even through the bad quality of the vid I can tell that her voice sort of sounds whiny and abrasive here. Not a fan of her as Norma.
AtLastOnTheGround 2 years ago
Glenn, Elaine, Meryl Streep, Barbra Streisand, and Liza are all being considered for the role.
Personally, I hope Glenn or Meryl get it. Barbra's ego is too big, Liza doesn't fit the part, and Elaine is too old now (as much as I love her).
AtLastOnTheGround 2 years ago
I can't enjoy this because it hurts my ears even on low volume. Quality is bad.
jjdaly81 2 years ago
only patti could do such a brilliant performance at a WORKSHOP! seriously, most workshops the actors still have scripts onstage! :-)
Broadway3 2 years ago
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Patti Lupones was the one major performance in this role that I did not see. From this video I can see why ALW thought she was not good in he role. The acting is too general, it just doesn't get across. Glen Close didn't sing that well, Betty Buckley was a great combination of acting and singing. Patti sang the role gloriously but the acting was wrong.
Snowydog123 2 years ago
This was a workshop though. Most actors had scripts onstage during parts of the show, so a fully realised performance from anyone at this stage wouldn't be expected
webuster 2 years ago 8
I wish patti lapone would return to the role for the move. I caznt see meyrl streep(spl?).....
smoker954 2 years ago
Please, does anybody know why the lyrics are a little different here and LuPone is wearing a strange costume from the other productions?
marcosvalenca 2 years ago
it was the workshop performance, sometimes called a backers audition. where the producers show the production as it currently is to try and raise interest and money from prospective investors. work in progress....
NewNickTahoe 2 years ago 2
Thanks for explaning.
marcosvalenca 2 years ago
@marcosvalenca the show wasn't designed yet and the music/lyrics were only in 'progress' mode so it therefore a 'WORKSHOP' production
fountainchain126 1 year ago
@fountainchain126 Thanks.
marcosvalenca 1 year ago
@marcosvalenca In her book, she talks about this performance. This was the first public performance of the material and she was extremely nervous. There were a lot of important people in attendance.
mjworley 11 months ago
@mjworley I see. Thanks.
marcosvalenca 11 months ago
It had a different lyricist at this point who was paid off and Charles Hart was brought in to rewrite for the west end
aavauxhall 8 months ago
how could any hate her?
i just don't see how anyone could hate someone who is so talented and nice as she is.
i absolutely love her shes my idol!
broadway0987 2 years ago
patti lupone is not nice. i love her to death. but she is not nice.
spriingawakeniing 2 years ago
well when i met her she was nice.
broadway0987 2 years ago
LOL, don't get me wrong, Patti's bitchy as hell, but that's why we love her!
HouseOnSunset 2 years ago
so, you hate me for loving her, and then you comment to someone else that you love her too, does that make any sense?
KaraokeKid22 2 years ago
HEY! There is only three types of fanboys I hate and you're not from either type, so relax.
PS - "Josaphine" isn't a name either. :-P
HouseOnSunset 2 years ago
Maybe she's like Ronan Tynan - nice to some people and ignoring others.
lilibetp 2 years ago
Nice? In what twisted, time warped universe?
HouseOnSunset 2 years ago
well when i met her for my birthday .. she was nice and to me thats all that matters
.
broadway0987 2 years ago
this is incredible! shes fantastic. i cant believe they fired her for Glenn, Patti has such a better voice there is no comparison. ya think Webber was having an affair with Glenn so he casted her? he only casted Sarah cause they were together too...
KaraokeKid22 3 years ago
There are child soldiers suffering in Africa. AIDS is spreading. World starvation. Somalian pirates terrorise sea vessels, Orphans are dying in the street every day. The war in the Middle East is claiming thousands of lives daily... Yet the ABSOLUTE WORST thing to happen in the entire world is that a couple gays didn't get to see Patti LuPone as Norma Desmond on Broadway. *EYES*
HouseOnSunset 2 years ago
wtf, i thought we settled this three months ago. so what if i like her, you gonna call me gay over it. yes, and casted is not a word, i am sorry Aunt Josaphine
KaraokeKid22 2 years ago
PS - "Casted" isn't a word.
HouseOnSunset 2 years ago
shes AMAZING. screw glenn.
midgetashley 3 years ago
She's ok i guess. glenn close is theatrical viagra
Mario54World 3 years ago
Agreed. Her stage presence is just unexplainable.
hateleyfan123 3 years ago 5
This has been flagged as spam show
With one note, Patti Lupone breaks my ears. In one fell swoop, she gobbles up all my will to live. I keep trying to find a video where she's as good as many people seem to think, but I can't help finding her overrated. This post is a bit obnoxious, in retrospect, but I'd honestly love to be linked to a performance of hers I will like...come on, guys, rise to the challenge!!!
TheAntiPleb 3 years ago
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I hate her also. But I love her in Evita. Have u seen her tony performance of anything goes or evita? she really is terrible, but she has stage presence. and she's perfect for gypsy as a loud, dried up wanna be diva.
Mario54World 3 years ago
OMG! I never heard something better than this song sung by Patti! She's my idol!
SweetAngelOfMusic94 3 years ago 2
I'm a huge fan on LuPone's, I think she's absolutely brilliant in Gypsy, but I really do prefer Glenn in this role. She, Glenn, brings a much needed intensity to the role that is in keeping with Gloria Swanson's portrayal of Norma Desmond from the film. Anyway, I love this song, so haunting. Definitely one of ALW's finest numbers, and one of his finest show's, even if it was a commercial flop.
GoodbyeToBlueberyPie 3 years ago 2
you MUST be the king of rationalizations
gabsylv 3 years ago 3
Absolutely stunning. True mastery.
StarryNight713 3 years ago 2
I've only recently become a fan of Sunset Blvd. and this song quickly became my #1 favorite song from a musical ever. And Patti is simply glorious.
disneyclint 3 years ago 7
So great to see and hear Patti. Thanks Nick and please post some more Patti Sunset clips.
AriesModerator 3 years ago
*GASP* AriesModerator, are you CHEATING on me? Besides, you're confusing Nick Tahoe with me. He always considered himself too good to take fan requests. I think I'm the only one who does it... Which makes me quite upset.
HouseOnSunset 3 years ago
Nah. Nick also tends to put clips from a specific show/concert when asked. Don't worry. You both can do it.
AriesModerator 3 years ago
Well, from my experience with Nick, he's always been very arrogant and condescending... Not to mention opinionated when it comes to La LuPone.
HouseOnSunset 3 years ago
So why did ALW break Patti's contract? I would of sued his behind harder than her....well I wish that I could. I'm not as tough as Patti is.
renethel 3 years ago
How much harder could she have sued him? She got more money out of him than any other actress who played Norma. We should all seriously move on. Besides, there are far more juicier "Sunset Boulevard" stories than the Patti incident!
HouseOnSunset 3 years ago
Your comment doesn't answer why ALW did what he did. WHY? That's all I want to know.
Wait....there are juicier stories? Details please.
And whoever gave my comment a thumbs down needs a life. I didn't saying anything wrong.
renethel 3 years ago 2
Two reasons. He was under a lot of pressure from Paramount to have a major star open the show on Broadway and let's face, "the retarded kid's mom from Life Goes On" wouldn't cut it. Another reason is that they decided to go in a different direction with the tone of the show (more sinister orchestrations, hence the key change) so an actress like Patti no longer fit the bill.
HouseOnSunset 3 years ago
I never heard of that show.
I really liked Glenn Close in the part. BOTH Patti and Glenn were great in their own right.
renethel 3 years ago 2
It's was a nighttime soap back in the eighties.
There are plenty of juicy Sunset gossip. Take Faye Dunaway for a minute, she blows Patti's sob story out of the water!
HouseOnSunset 3 years ago
I'm just glad that it's not 1994 anymore. LOL!
renethel 3 years ago
That makes sense. However, the same could be said about the later casting of Elaine Paige or Betty Buckley (GAG!) It did nonetheless backfire because the show quickly became more about who was playing Norma Desmond than about the show itself. And that's what brought about is early demise. Really a shame because I think it's one of Sir Andrew's best scores.
rogueromulan 3 years ago
Thank you. Thank you.
I love this song when she sings it so beautifully.
ImperfectlyPerfect2 3 years ago